Goodbye Clarice

Clarice is outside. I saw her talking on her phone while I was talking with Clementine. She is still talking on her phone. I walk up to her and in a raised whisper say, “I just got fired.”

“Whaaat?”

She gives me a raised finger, like, ‘hold on, don’t go anywhere.’ I nod and wait for her to finish her phone call. It takes longer than expecting. She appears to be in the process of planning some sort of party. The person on the other end won’t give up whatever ghost she’s wrestling with. Clarice keeps laying out annoyed periods at the end of her sentences meant for the final touches of a reciprocated farewell but the recipient keeps hopping over them, streaming whatever further amendments she deems necessary to cram conjunctedly into this already overfull phone call.

When the conversation finally ends, I tell her about what happened.

She is scared for her own safety.

“Well, at least you’re aware they’re willing to drop people so easily. It’s the union’s fault of course. Or at least the presence of it. Two months in and one to go. They didn’t want another protected minion to try controlling.”

“I thought you were one of the best… It seemed like you had been there forever already.”

“To tell you the truth, I planned on being there for a long time.”

I give her My Struggle.

“I don’t want them to sue me.” I say, letting her enjoy the rest of her lunch break without me.